Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing?
Grammar > Verbs > Verb patterns > Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing?
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Verbs followed by a to-infinitive
Some verbs can be followed immediately by a to-infinitive:
deman
afford like pretend
d
agree fail love promise
arrange forget manage refuse
remembe
ask hate mean (= intend)
r
begin help need start
choose hope offer try
continu
intend plan want
e
decide learn prefer
I can’t afford to go on holiday.
It began to rain.
She hopes to go to university next year.
My mother never learnt to swim.
Did you remember to ring Nigel?
See also:
Help somebody (to) do
Want
Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive
Verbs followed by -ing
-ing but not to-infinitive
Some verbs are normally followed by the -ing form, not the to-infinitive:
admit deny finish mind
avoid dislike give up miss
practis
(can’t) help enjoy imagine
e
(can’t)
fancy involve put off
stand
feel keep
consider risk
like (on)
I always enjoy cooking.
Not: I always enjoy to cook.
We haven’t finished eating yet.
Not: We haven’t finished to eat.
She keeps changing her mind about the wedding.
New subject before -ing
Some of these verbs (e.g. can’t stand, dislike, imagine, involve, mind, miss, put off and risk) can be used
with a new subject before the -ing form (underlined in the examples below). If the new subject is a
pronoun, it is in the object form (me, him, her, us, them):
We just couldn’t imagine Gerry singing in public.
Do you mind me being here while you’re working?
I don’t want to risk him losing his job.
See also:
Verbs followed by -ing
Verbs followed by a to-infinitive or -ing
Hate, like, love, prefer
Hate, like, love and prefer can be followed either by -ing or a to-infinitive. The difference in meaning is
often small. The -ing form emphasises the verb itself. The to-infinitive puts the emphasis more on the
preference for, or the results of, the action.
Compare
-ing form to-infinitive
I love cooking Indian food. (emphasis on I like to drink juice in the morning, and tea at
the process itself and enjoyment of it) lunchtime. (emphasis more on the preference or habit)
She hates cleaning her room. (emphasis
I hate to be the only person to disagree. (emphasis more
on the process itself and no enjoyment of
on the result: I would prefer not to be in that situation.)
it)
We prefer to drive during the day whenever we
Most people prefer watching a film at the
can. (emphasis more on the result and on the habit or
cinema rather than on TV. (emphasis on
preference. The speaker doesn’t necessarily enjoy the
the process itself and enjoyment of it)
process of driving at any time of day.)
Hate, like, love, prefer with would or should
When hate, like, love and prefer are used with would or should, only the to-infinitive is used, not the -
ing form:
She’d love to get a job nearer home.
Not: She’d love getting a job nearer home.
Would you like to have dinner with us on Friday?
To-infinitive or -ing form with a change in meaning
Some verbs can be followed by a to-infinitive or the -ing form, but with a change in meaning:
go remembe
need try
on r
mea regre wan
stop
n t t
Compare
-ing form to-infinitive
Working in London means leaving home
I didn’t mean to make you cry. (I didn’t intend to make
at 6.30. (Because I work in London, this is
you cry.)
the result or consequence.)
He went on singing after everyone else She recited a poem, then went on to sing a lovely folk
had finished. (He continued singing song. (She recited the poem first, then she sang the
without stopping.) song.)
I tried searching the web and finally found
I tried to email Simon but it bounced back. (I
an address for him. (I searched the web to
tried/attempted to email him but I did not succeed.)
see what information I could find.)
She stopped crying as soon as she saw her We stopped to buy some water at the motorway service
mother. (She was crying, and then she area. (We were travelling and we stopped for a short
didn’t cry anymore.) time in order to buy some water.)
See also:
Mean
Need
Remember or remind?
Stop + -ing form or to-infinitive
Want
Verbs followed by an infinitive without to
Let, make
Let and make are followed by an infinitive without to in active voice sentences. They always have an
object (underlined) before the infinitive:
Let me show you this DVD I’ve got.
They made us wait while they checked our documents.
Not: They made us to wait …
Help
Help can be followed by an infinitive without to or a to-infinitive:
She helped me find a direction in life.
Everyone can help to reduce carbon emissions by using public transport.
See also:
Help somebody (to) do
Let, let’s
Make
Verbs followed by -ing or an infinitive without to
A group of verbs connected with feeling, hearing and seeing can be used with -ing or with an infinitive
without to:
feel notice see
hea overhea watc
r r h
When they are used with -ing, these verbs emphasise the action or event in progress. When they are used
with an infinitive without to, they emphasise the action or event seen as a whole, or as completed.
Compare
-ing infinitive without to
She heard people shouting in the street below and I heard someone shout ‘Help!’, so I ran to the
looked out of the window. (emphasises that the river. (emphasises the whole event: the person
shouting probably continued or was repeated) probably shouted only once)
Emily saw Philip run out of Sandra’s
A police officer saw him running along the
office. (emphasises the whole event from start to
street. (emphasises the running as it was happening)
finish)
Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive
Some verbs are used with a direct object (underlined) followed by a to-infinitive. These verbs include:
reques
advise hate like persuade
t
ask help love prefer teach
challeng instruc recommen
need tell
e t d
choose intend orde remind want
r
forbid invite
I advised him to get a job as soon as possible.
Did Martin teach Gary to play squash?
They want me to go to Germany with them.
